Archives for October 2022
SkyPoint FCU’s Clothing Drive
OCTOBER 17 – NOVEMBER 11
We invite you to support the SkyPoint Federal Credit Union Community Development Team in our 2022 Clothing Drive!
The drive will run from Monday, October 17 to Friday, November 11, 2022, for benefit of Frederick Rescue Mission. Frederick Rescue Mission’s “Rescued Treasures Clothing Program” provides free clothing, coats, shoes, backpacks, sleeping bags and linens for those in need in the Frederick area.
Please keep in mind, all donations should be in DIGNITY CONDITION (as if you were giving to a family member or friend), and only NEW underclothes (underwear, socks, and undershirts) will be accepted. For your shopping convenience, we have provided a QR code to our Target registry for the underclothes (use of this registry is optional).
What a great opportunity to clean out those closets and help someone in the process! You can drop your items off at our Germantown and Rockville locations. Contact Jordy Guerrero, Community Development Representative at jguerrero@skypointfcu.org or 301-279-1964 ext. 8002 with questions, and we thank you in advance!
Germantown Branch – 19785 Crystal Rock Drive, Suite 201, Germantown, MD 20874
Rockville Branch – 20 Courthouse Square #101, Rockville, MD 20850
THE GREATER ROCKVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WILL CELEBRATE ITS’ 2022 ROCK STAR AWARD WINNERS
ROCKVILLE, MD — The Greater Rockville Chamber of Commerce (GRCC) annually
recognizes its Rock Stars of the Year in the following categories: Small Business of the
Year, Large Business of the Year, Non-Profit of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and the
Young Professional of the Year. Following are this year’s winners in each category.
Award winners will be honored at a black-tie, red carpet, sit-down dinner at the Manor Country Club in Rockville on November 3, 2022. Please join us to celebrate our 2022 Rockstars by clicking here to purchase your tickets.
Small Business of the Year Award recognizes a company that has been in business for at
least five years with revenue under $5M. Specific criteria include: flexibility, innovation and has a proven unique business and marketing strategy that has benefited the Rockville
community. The 2022 Small Business of the Year goes to SHS Payroll.
Large Business of the Year recognizes a company committed to the vitality and community in
Rockville, which has over 50 employees or over $5M in revenue. Specific criteria include: a
commitment to their employees, their customers and has invested time, energy, and resources in the Rockville community. The 2022 Large Business of the Year goes to Universal
Communities.
The Non-Profit of the Year recognizes outstanding practices among Rockville’s diverse non-profit organizations. Specific criteria include success in creating a lasting and beneficial impact for Rockville residents and sets a strong example for other non-profits in the community. The 2022 Non-Profit of the Year goes to Manna Food Center.
Entrepreneur of the Year recognizes a business owner, taking on financial risk and identifies a
need that no existing businesses address, and determines a solution for that need. Additionally, although the term “entrepreneur” is often associated with startups and small businesses, any founder of a successful household-named business began as an entrepreneur. Specific criteria include year-over-year growth, innovation, resilience, flexibility, and a unique business and marketing strategy, and a proven track record of commitment to the Rockville community and businesses. The 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Award goes to Betty Sullivan of Architessa.
Young Professional of the Year recognized an individual who is active in the Young Professional’s group of our Chamber and steps up to a leadership role within their organization. Specific criteria include tenacity and an exemplary commitment to the Rockville
community and businesses. The 2022 Young Professional of the Year is Ethan Litvin of
SEEC.
Rockville Chamber president and CEO, Marji Graf, notes, “I extend my congratulations to this year’s award winners. They truly are ‘rock stars.’
Award winners will be honored at a black-tie, red carpet, sit-down dinner at the Manor Country Club in Rockville on November 3, 2022. Please join us to celebrate our 2022 Rockstars by clicking here to purchase your tickets.
We thank our sponsors:
Our title sponsor: Westat
ABOUT THE GREATER ROCKVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The GRCC serves as the voice of the thousands of businesses that proudly call Rockville, MD
their home. It strives to create and support a thriving Rockville through educational programs,
networking opportunities, and services; civic and business involvement in cultural and social
programs and services; and advocacy for the interdependence of business and civic goals to
expand economic vitality in Rockville.
For more information, visit https://www.rockvillechamber.org. Follow us on Twitter:
@ChamberRock, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
For more information, press only:
MARJI GRAF
Greater Rockville Chamber of Commerce
+1 301-424-9300
marji@rockvillechamber.org
WSM & MoCo’s Workforce Development Board Awards Over $1.3 Million in Recovery Funds to Local Organizations Under the Workforce Recovery Network
| WSM Plans to Award Another $1 Million to Montgomery County’sSmall Businesses Community Over the Next Year Until Funds Are Exhausted |
| WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. (WSM) and the Montgomery County Workforce Development Board have recently awarded over $1.3 Million in Covid-19 relief funds under the Workforce Recovery Network (WRN) program to fifteen (15) local community workforce providers. This funding is part of the American Rescue Plan Act, State, and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program, and its intent is to support organizations who provide employment & training services to Montgomery County residents that have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. WSM intends to award at least $1 million dollars a year over the next two (2) years in WRN funds until all funds are exhausted. “During the height of the pandemic, our Legislators worked extremely hard to pass the Affordable Care Act in order to quickly get financial relief to both people and businesses impacted by the pandemic. It was equally important for us to create a means or a “program” that would allow us to carry out the intent of the law with the same level of concern and urgency. Fortunately, this resulted in WorkSource Montgomery’s ability to expand its reach in terms of providing career counseling, job training, and employment services to populations that were previously underserved. As a result of the funding provided through the Workforce Recovery Network, WSM has been able to positively impact Montgomery County’s Vietnamese, East African, senior citizen, and youth with learning disabilities populations—just to name a few.” – Naté Gordon, Deputy Director, Administrative Services, WorkSource Montgomery Here’s what a couple of our awardees had to say about WRN 1.0: “Thanks to WRN, Identity has expanded workforce programs for unemployed and underemployed parents of our youth who were seriously impacted by the pandemic. We are now reaching more Montgomery County residents with industry-valued training and certifications, paid work experiences, and job coaching and placement services. Our participants are excited to be preparing for careers in healthcare, childcare, food service, and the trades.” – Monica Aigner, Workforce Development Manager, Identity Inc. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt by our hardest-hit Montgomery County neighbors. The recovery from lost lives, lost incomes, and lost housing is uneven and slow. With our Workforce Recovery Network grant from WSM, CareerCatchers will be able to help an additional 50 Montgomery County struggling residents rebuild their lives. Through our community partners and business networks, CareerCatchers will serve those most severely impacted and help them find careers, training, and other needed resources to put them on a path out of poverty. The impact of more neighbors finding meaningful careers benefits all of us and creates a more vibrant Montgomery County.” – Mariana A. McNeill, Executive Director, CareerCatchers Programs should be focused on strategic workforce initiatives that assist Montgomery County residents who have experienced hardship due to the pandemic. In addition to serving individuals negatively impacted by the pandemic, the programs may also serve individuals who are: low-income, have criminal backgrounds, have disabilities, are homeless, Veterans, English language learners, youth, public assistance recipients, or have barriers to employment. Programs and services targeting individuals in Montgomery County’s high poverty rate census tracks as well as the communities near the pending Purple Metro Line are encouraged. WSM just completed its second application process but expects to re-open it again in mid-2023 for a limited time. Funding requests could include expansion of traditional services such as recruitment, assessment, case management, training, subsidized employment placements, internships, and supportive services. However, WSM’s funding for this initiative is designed to be flexible and encourage new ways of offering programs and serving individuals in the county. Funds cannot be used for capital improvement or to purchase real estate or large equipment. Programming should fill in gaps brought to light by the pandemic, address issues magnified as a result of the pandemic, and/or expand innovative ideas piloted during the pandemic. For additional information or questions about WRN 2.0, please contact Naté Gordon at ngordon@worksourcemontgomery.com. |
| WorkSource Montgomery, Inc. | 240.641.6730info@worksourcemontgomery.com | www.worksourcemontgomery.com |
The Montgomery County Office of Procurement is hosting a Procurement Fair
***Advance registration is full, but we will accept walk-ins on the day of the event.***
The Montgomery County Office of Procurement invites you to attend our Procurement Fair!
This event is held in partnership with the East County Regional Services Center and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation.
Learn about exciting upcoming procurement opportunities and network with your peers at this half-day event.
Panel discussions include:
- 10:00am: Minority, Female and Disabled-Owned Business (MFD) Certifying Agencies Panel
- 11:00am: Upcoming Procurement Opportunities from around the County
- 12:00pm: Business Resources Panel
- 1:00pm: Adjourn
Who should attend:
Any business interested in contracting opportunities with Montgomery County, MD.
Location and Parking:
This event will be held in-person at the East County Community Recreation Center, 3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring, MD 20904.
Free parking is available in the outdoor parking lot adjacent to the building. :
This is a FREE event.
The event will be livestreamed on the Montgomery County Cable Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/CountyCableMoCo.
Questions? Contact Bethany Manimbo, Marketing and Outreach Manager, bethany.manimbo@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Geneva Day School’s Student-Scientists Spread their Wings: How Cultivating Butterfly Gardens Advance Monarch Preservation
What has scales yet does not measure weight?
What is colorful yet does not glimmer as a rainbow?
What flies yet does not flutter as a bird?
This riddle and others like it challenge students at Geneva Day School. For years, the school has cultivated a butterfly-friendly campus, earning its status as a Monarch Butterfly Waystation. Scholars, therefore, know to answer this brainteaser with a resounding “Monarch Butterfly”!
“At Geneva, students learn about the incredible migration that these butterflies undertake each year, flying thousands of miles to California and central Mexico for the winter,” stated Environmental Education Instructor, Ms. Anna Piper.
Also the school’s mascot, this splendid insect evokes the “distance” that young scholars undergo as they metamorphose into more mature students. Environmental Education advances Monarch-related lessons throughout the school’s spiraling curriculum.
Often led by Ms. Piper, “students get the unique experience to observe the lifecycle close-up in the Monarch Butterfly Waystation housed on Geneva grounds,” she explained.
Younger students listen to a telling of “The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillar”; older students chart their observations of the indoor-reared caterpillars, and PreK and Kindergarten students release the fully formed butterflies from captivity.
Yet now that the Monarch has been dubbed an “endangered species,” the school redoubles its efforts to instill an appreciation of this important pollinator and inform as many as possible about how to assist.
“I am saddened that the Monarch Butterfly was officially designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but I am also hopeful that this designation will shine a spotlight on the declining numbers of Monarch Butterflies and encourage individuals to take action,” said Ms. Piper.
Monarchs require points at which to rest, feed, regroup, and take off again for their final destination. They also need gentle habitats in which to lay their eggs so that young caterpillars may thrive, eventually weaving their chrysalises and metamorphosing into these “tigers of the sky.”
Students plant milkweed and when the moment is right, they harvest it. Providing “specimen caterpillars” reared indoors with this sumptuous feast, students get a refined view with magnifying glasses. They sing songs about them, practice flying with their “own wings,” and imagine what it is like to undertake the “natural wonder” of their migratory pattern.
“ Due to the number of Monarch Butterflies declining, there has also been a noticeable decline in Monarchs around Geneva,” explained Ms. Piper, who is hopeful that change might blossom, literally, from grassroots efforts.
Even the most meager of milkweed plantings could exert positive change. Small plots of land at home, for example, could contribute to a trail of Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries. As of this summer, Geneva’s smallest hands assisted in planting not only its traditional Monarch Butterfly Garden with milkweed but also its International Gardens, which now devote their beds to this essential plant.
As Ms. Piper says, “Monarch Butterflies are possibly the most notable butterfly with their beautiful orange colors.” Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for their exceptional flight and moments of much-deserved rest. . . Their wings are comprised of delicate scales and any handling could compromise their hopes for aerodynamism.
So keep hands off and hopes high; the quest to assist Monarch Butterflies is the larger riddle worth solving.